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Monday, 28 February 2011

Deep Fried

I don't have the squeamishness that some people have about deep frying. I love it; from the vaguely healthy, like agedashi tofu, to the horrendously deliciously unhealthy, like buttermilk fried chicken. Of course I've had my accidents; my first foray into deep frying was squid tempura and I cowered behind my wok lid shield as furious fat spat all over my kitchen, in protest of having wet squid chucked into it. I learned my lesson from that one.

I saw a post on fried pickles at the excellent Homesick Texan and I knew I had to make it. Pickles? Crumbed and fried? Yes please. A buttermilk dressing was made to accompany it, though I added my own tweaks. Combined, the crunch of the coating giving way to crunchy, tangy dill pickle slices was brilliant. The garlicky buttermilk dressing, with a heavy hand in coriander, made an ideal dipping sauce.

Surprise of the day though was a happy snap decision. Some squat mild chillis were in the fridge, while some halloumi was slowly growing mouldy. Since I had a wok full of shimmering hot oil, I figured I might as well give it a go, and they were a hit. Mild, slightly spicy pepper bursting with melted halloumi was a pretty perfect snack to go with a couple of beers.

In a bowl, whisk together the lime juice, buttermilk and mayonnaise. Add the garlic, minced finely and the cayenne pepper and chilli. Add the coriander and mix well. Taste for seasoning.Deep Fried Pickles & Cheese-Stuffed ChillisMakes enough for 4 as a light snack

Slice the cucumbers to the thickness of about an inch and leave to dry on kitchen paper. Make a slit in the chillis just down one side and carefully scrape out the seeds. Stuff with sticks of halloumi.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. Process the matzo crackers into crumbs and place in a sandwich bag. Whisk together the egg and the buttermilk and cover a plate with the flour. Dip the pickles and chillis firstly in the flour, then the egg and then in the sandwich bag for a good shake to cover. Heat the oil until it's shimmering and a breadcrumb sizzles in it and fry the pickles and chilli in batches until browned on all sides. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen towel and place in the oven to keep warm.

Squeamishness about deep frying? Not talking about me by any chance?! Well I've really got over it since that deep fried beef at Pople's feast; the inch long welt on my arm really did the trick of curing my fear.

I looove deep fried goodies (though wish they didn't love ME as much!) but I do have a fear of deep frying.

I don't know why, as my mum fried pakoras and poorees and other goodies throughout my childhood and there's never been an accident (touch wood) to put such fear into me.

And yet I do fear hot oil.

I'm tempted to get a deep fryer, which feels safer than an open dish on the stove, but then wonder if that'll just lead to me eating too much fried food (currently restricted to eating out) and become even MORE lardy than I already am.

First tried them last year from a brilliant street food stall - typically it was in a beautifully retro Airstream trailer - in Austin Texas. They cut the pickles into quarters from top to bottom (a pickley baton!?!) which meant the pickle stayed really moist and soft.

Also, they used cornflakes and hazelnut nibs which gave a great crispy bite!

When I was a kid every summer was marked with a different food fad, which me and my sisters would make over and over again.

One summer, when i was about 13, it was doughnuts. God knows what my mum was thinking but we deep fried doughnuts every day for about 3 weeks, often while wearing bikinis. I finished the summer lightly speckled with hot fat scars.

Now I'm a grown up and terrified of everything I would never just heat up a saucepan of hot fat. Instead I spend ages staring at deep fat fryers in shops and thinking: "Can I justify buying this? Can I?" Imagine the chips. And now, also the chillis stuffed with cheese.

love love love this. pakistanis adore fried food, we arent scared of it in the least, it's just the sort of food you can find in restaurants in lahore which serve afternoon tea. quite a far cry from the afternoon tea at the Wolseley! the combination of the hot peppers and halloumi, all hot and crumbly must be scrumptious. a definite one to keep for my arsenal for when my mum and i host a tea party. x shayma